2023 Skyline Conference Championship - Final
Farmingdale State 5, Manhattanville 2
PURCHASE, N.Y. | Led by senior championship Most Outstanding Player Mark Baker (Sr.; Baldwin, N.Y.), the second-seeded Farmingdale State College men's tennis team won its fifth Skyline Conference title, and second in the last three seasons, with a 5-2 triumph over top-seeded Manhattanville College.
The Rams (14-3), previously title winners in 2011-13 and 2021, have now earned automatic qualification to next week's 2023 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championship. Further details regarding seeding and locations will be announced early next week.
Baker, previously the championship's Most Outstanding Player in 2019, is now the fourth two-time recipient of the honor in Skyline history. He teamed with freshman Ryan Hendel (No. Merrick, N.Y.) to earn an 8-2 victory at top-flight doubles to start the afternoon over the Valiants' (9-5) James Hourihan and Weston Goodwin. FSC went into singles play up 2-1, after the No. 2 duo of junior Alan Sabovic (Bohemia, N.Y.) and senior Muhammad Sawar (Brentwood, N.Y.) carded an 8-4 decision against Luis Gonzalez and Dylan Crowley.
Sabovic put his side up 3-1 when he won at No. 2 singles, after leading Gonzalez 6-3 and 1-0 before an injury retirement. Senior Matthew Olkhovetsky (Great Neck, N.Y.) collected a 6-1, 6-1 win at the No. 6 flight against Manhattanville's Jaime Peredo, before Baker clinched the title with a 6-2, 6-0 triumph at the top flight versus Hourihan.